Dispensing apparatus



Oct.'2l, 1930. E. BRUNHOFF' I 1,778,345

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet. l

I I I l I i I I l l l l l l I 1N VEN TOR A TTORNEY Oct. 21, 1930. E. BRUNHOFF DISPENSING APPARATUS I Filed Dec. 15, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 z mil 52mg;

A TTORNLY Oct. 21, 193.0. E.BRUNHOFF DI'SPENSING APPARATUS Filed Dc.

15, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I IIWEN 0R 7 Y ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 21 1930 S PAT NT 0FFI:.CE7

EDWARD BRUNHOEF, or wvoiv neg OHIO, Assienoa 'ro THE ARNOLD "anaemic COMPANY, oraAoinE, WISCONSIN, A coRPoRA'rroN or Wisconsin bisrnivsme'er-rnimrus Appl ication filed December 15, 1928.v I-Seri'a1Nop326325.

My invention relates to improvements in dispensing apparatus. One of its objectsis toprovide improved apparatus to reliably dispense malted .milk and similar substances .5 in powdered form. Another object is to provide improved apparatus adaptedto reliably dispense substances having an afiinity for moisture and hence tending to become moist and to adhere to operative parts of the apparatus and to obstruct the ports and passages thereof. Another object is-to provide improved apparatus adapted to be convenientlyseparated .into its components and then immersed .in hot water to free the parts from any substances adhering thereto, and thereafter reassembled in operative relations. Another object-is to provide improved means to regulate and control the movement of the dispensing apparatus to. a forward step by step movement of uniform proportions irrespective of the amount of manual energy imparted from time to time to actuate the dispensing apparatus. Another object is to provide an improved arrangement of exit port gateactriatedirom and "with the actuating mechanism and operating in connection with a separable dispensing hopper and dispensing apparatus whereby the separation and cleaning of the ga'te'and dispensing apparatus is facilitated. Another object is to provide an improved combined vertically reciprocating actuating lever and horizontally movable actuating means adapted to reduce to a minimum any tendency 'to upset the apparatus through pressure applied to actuate the same. My invention also comprises certain details of form and arrangement and combination of components all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which: r

Fig. 1 is a front elevationof my improved apparatus.

' Fig. '2 is a top persp gate detached. v.

Fig. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the gate shown in Fig. 2. e v

Fig. 1 is a plan ofthe dispensing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the hopper detached.

Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the dispens ingspider detached.

ective' view of an exit I v Fig. 6 is a perspective view of '7 key or spindle and agitating {arms carried thereby detached.

cover plate detached. g

Fig.8 is a vertical sectional detailthrough Fig. 7 is a perspective viewofa detachable the dispensing apparatus and actuating mechanism taken on 'line8'8 of 4.

Fig.9 is a plan of the actuating mechanism of Fig. '8 with the dispensing apparatus and gate detached therefrom. I 4 1 Fig. "10 is a top plan of the detachable dis;- pensing tray detached.

in'Fig. 10.

' Fig 12 is a perspective view "of the gate actuatlng lever detached.

Fig. '11 is a bottom plan :offthe Fig. 13 is a detail perspective viewoia portion of the actuating mechanism.

F'g. 1 1 is a perspective view o'f another portion of the actuating, mechanism detached. n

Fig.15 is a perspective View ofthe'actuating mechanism ratchet wheel detached.

The accompanying drawings illustrate 'one.

embodiment of my invention, in which "15 represents a hopper whic'h is seated detach ably upon an annular ledge 16 ofa fme'tal dispensing tray '17, and held in place thereon by an external annular ledge 51'8. The hopper is preferably a sectionof trans arent glass cylinder adapted to support :a quantity of the powdered substance to be dispensed and expose the same to view Whil'eat the sametime protecting thelpowder from exposure to the atmosphere to any considerable extent. A .lid or cap .19 closes thetop oi the hopper and the tray 17 closes ,thefhopperaat the bottom with the exception of an exit port .20

' through the bottom oftheftray 1'7, which is especially closedby means of asliding gate 22, excep't'when itis desired to dispense a measured portion of the powder through the exit port 20, when said port is opened a transverse movement of the gate 22. The powderin thetray and hopper is thus pro- .tected against exposureto the atmosphere and is thus prevented ifrom absorbing .rnois: ture from the atmosphere to any considerable extent. l v

The dispensing tray and the dispensing apparatus carried within said tray are detachably mounted upon a base member 24 by means of dowel pins 25 projecting downwardly from the under face of the tray 1? and entering into dowel recesses 26 formed in ears 27 projecting inwardly from the base member 24. The dispensing apparatus carried by the dispensing tray comprises a dispensing spider 27 having a central hub 28 and aseries of radial arms 29, and a polygonal central perforation 30. A-detach-I able plate 31 rests upon the upper face of the spider 27 being centered uponan annu larshoulder 32 of the spider near the (central perforation 30, andjhaving a blade 38, the peripheral edge of which is let into a recess 33 in the ledge 16 so that the upper face of the plate 3l is'substantially flush with said ledge 16, and serves to prevent the plate 31 from rotatingrelative to thetray 17 with the spider 27.' A polygonal key or clutch stem 34 has a head 35 with a recess 36to fit over the-annularshoulder or extension 32 of the spider, so as to form a cap over said extension 32 and excludepowder from'working beneath the cap or head35 and into or through the recess 30 so as to reach the actuating mechanism located in the base 24," The cally center the spider withreference to the tray. The tray 17 has an upwardly extending annular ledge" 87 (see Fig. 8) which tends to prevent powder working beneath the spider toward the center of the bottom of the tray and thence into contact with the actuating mechanism located in the base 24.

The stem 34, plate 31, spider 27 and gate 22 are readily separable from the dispensing tray l7,' and said tray is readily separable from the hopper and from the base 24, in

order'to enablethe members 34, 31, 27, 22 and 17 to be treated with hot water from time ,to time and quickly and thoroughly dried while heated and reassembled ready for operation. The tongue or blade 38 of the plate 31 'is vertically above the exit port20, to

thereby prevent powder feeding directly and;

vertically from the hopper to the exit port. All the spacesor pockets between the radial arms 29 are open to receive powder from the hopperrabove said spider except the pocket immediately beneath'the blade 38.; 'The radial arms 29 are tapered so that thepo'clrets between said radial arms are slightly larger at the bottom than at the top; which facilie tates detaching the powder from the pockets successively as they reach a position above ;theexit: port.

The ends ofthe the exit port 20. A downwardlyextending lip 39 encircles the exit port 20 with extensions 40 leading therefrom which lip and extensions are surfaced to a single plane to enable the face of the gate22 to make a close joint with saidlip 39 and extensions-40. The

extensions 40 serve as guides to hold the gate 22 in the same plane when the. exit port is uncovered by thefgate as whenthe ga e covers the exit 'port and they also serve to guide the gate back intoposit'ion to cover The actuating mechanism is mounted in position: with reference to the base member 24, so-that the dispensing apparatus may be v;

readily mounted upon and detached from the base member. without disturbing the relation of the actuating mechanism and to enable the dispensing apparatus to be readily clutched to or coupled in operative relationto the actuating mechanism. The actuating mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 42, which is journaled near opposite ends in central recesses 43 and 44 in plates 45 and 46 which are attached rigidly to ears 4? projecting inwardly at three substantially equidistant points from the inner face of the base member. 24, by means of screws 48. V The plates 45 and 46 are spaced apart, and the ratchet wheelx42 is held by shoulders 49 and 50 against 'movement axially. The hub of the ratchet wheel 42 has an axial polygonal recess 89 to receive and fit the polygonal stem 34, and thereby clutch the ratchet wheel. A rocker plate 51 is journaled upon the hub of the ratchet wheel below the ratchet teeth 52. l A pawl 53- is pivotally mounted upon the rocker plate 51', and is actuated by a spring 54'to cause said pawl to engage the ratchet teeth 52 successively to drive the ratchet wheel forward step by step. A stop lug 55 carried by the plate 51 extends into the path of movement of the rear end of pawl 53 to limit the movement of said pawl relativefltorocker plate 51. The rocker'plate is also providedwith a cam projection 56 and a cam finger 57. The rigid platel45 is also providedwith a cam finger 58, and has pivot: ally attached thereto a'freely floating pawl 59, which pawl 59 is set ina reverse direction to that of the pawl 53. The pawl59 is provided with a pin or cross barfiOwhich projects from the top and from the bottom of the pawl 59. When the rocker plate 51fis rocked in clockwise direction the pawl 53 engages a tooth of the ratchet wheel 42 and rotates the ratchet wheel 42, the spider 27 and stem 34 a step forward equalto the distance from. one ratchet teeth 52 to the next tooth, and at the same blocks or stops further rotationvof the ratchet stem 34 and spider 27 operatively to said cams 56 and 57 move the space from one ratchet tooth to the next ratchet tooth counterclockwise, which enables the pawl 53 to engage the next ratchet tooth, and causes the linger 57 to move away from the pin 60, and the projection 56 to engage the pin and force pin 60 and pawl 59 outwardly until the free end of pawl 59 is out of the path of the ratchet teeth 52 and the pin 60 is in engagement with the finger 58. The rocker'plate 51 is attached pivotally to one end of a link 62. The opposite end of the link 62 is pivotally attached to a manually operable lever 63,

. which is pivotally attached at 64 to the base member 24. A; spring 91 normally holds the lever 63 in retracted position. Power is applied to a head or knob 65 of lever 63 bypressing vertically downward thereon, which downward pressure does not in any way tend to upset the baseor the members mounted thereon, but instead tends to increase the stability of the base 24 while the apparatus is being actuated. A gate actuating lever 67 is pivotally mounted at 68 upon the hub of the ratchet wheel 42 while a tubular stud 69 fits over the end of the pin or stud 7 0 carried by the rocker plate 51, and upon which the pawl 53 pivots. Movement of the rocker plate 51 causes the free end of the gate lever '67 to sweep through the arc of a circle beneath the tray 17 and above the base member 24 which is recessed at 71 (see Fig. 1) to permit this lever 67 to extend outwardly from the base.

member 24 and to move relative thereto. The lever 67 is held in place relative to the ratchet wheel hub and the plates 45 and 46 of the base member bymeans of a thin triangular retaining plate 7 2 attached rigidly to and above the plate 45, with the lever 67 interposed. The

free end of the lever enters between the side plates 73 and 7 4 of a channeled member attached to the lower face of the gate 22. The free end of the lever 67 also has a cross rib 75 which enters a slot 7 6 across the channeled .member of the gate to retain the gate detachably in position upon the free end of the lever 67. The lever 67 being held firmly be-' tween plates 72 and 45 is enabled to act resiliently upwardly to press the gate 22 upwardly against the lip 39am extensions 40, to provide a practically air tight oint to exclude moisture carrying air from the hopper interior.

The apparatus herein illustrated and de- '.-75 upon :and above said :basemember-and :aotupensing port, a central perforation and an annular. raised powder excluding ,l'l l) :extend- I ing upwardl-yFtrom the floor ofsaidrtra-yzand encircling :the :centralfperatoration .thereozt, a .dispensing;.;spider sea-ted .-upon the floor aOf .said dispensing tray outs-ideofsaid powder excluding :rib, :a plate :located 'aboveesaitdadispensing: portiand above said dispensi-nigspider and nonrotatable relative to saidtray, and upwardly iremovablelmeans for detachably coupling said spider with said actuating mechanism.

2. Dispensing apparatus comprising a base said base member, a manually operable actuatmg lever, a horizontally reciprocating gate manually operable actuating lever, a dis- 7.90 member, actuatlng mechanism mounted in pensing tray separably mounted upon and above said base, and provided with a dispensing port through the bottom there-of, means located in said tray and operable through said manually operated actuating, mechanism to dispense measured quantities of powder from said tray through said dispensin port, a gate resting loosely and removabTy upon said gate actuating lever and held yieldingly thereby in contact with the bottom of said dispensing tray and normally in position to close said dispensing port and operable periodically in unison with the movements of said actuating lever to uncover said dispensing port.

member, actuating mechanism mounted thereon having a vertically reciprocating 3. Dispensing apparatus compr1s1ng a base manually operable actuating lever and a sub- 7 stantially horizontally oscillatable gate actuating lever, a dispensing tray having a dispensing port separably mounted upon said base above said actuating mechanism, dispensing means carried by said dispensing tray, means to couple said dispensing means i to said actuating mechanism and a gate separable from said gate actuating lever interposed between said gate actuating lever and said dispensing port and normally closing said dispensing port.

v 4. Dispensing apparatus comprising a base member, a ratchet wheel journaled upon a vertical axis relative to said base member and rotatable step by step in one direction, a rocker plate journaled upon the hub of said I ratchet Wheel "and reciprocably niovable thereon, a pawl carried by said rocker plate to engage and drive said ratchet wheel, a

manually operable vertically oscillatable actuating lever operatively connected to said rocker plate to reciprocate said plate,a gate actuating lever 'journaled upon the hub of said ratchet Wheel and operatively connected to said rocker plate to reciprocate therewith in a substantially horizontal direction, adispensing traymounted above said base and gate actuating lever having a dispensing port, dispensing apparatus located Within said dispenslng tray, agate interposed between said dispensing tray and said gate lever and bearing resiliently upon thebottom of said dispensing tray to normally close said dispensing port, said gate being reciprocab-ly operable to uncover said dispensing port. 7

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. I

. r EDWARD BRUNHOFF 

